Brake assembly

ABSTRACT

A brake device for controlling the movement of a member movable along a first path of travel includes a movable permanent magnet engageable by a portion of the movable member for moving the permanent magnet along a second path of travel substantially parallel to the first path of travel. The device further includes magnetically responsive guiding means for restricting the movement of the permanent magnet to movement along a second path of travel. The guiding means may be an U-shaped or an L-shaped elongated channel magnetically responsive to or attracted by the permanent magnet to thereby provide a force in opposition to the movement of the magnetic means. The permanent magnet preferably includes an elongated slot or recess for receiving the engageable portion of the movable member. The elongated slot or recess includes two shoulder portions disposed at the opposite longitudinal ends of the recess and engageable by the portion of the member for moving the permanent member along the second path of travel. The force in opposition to the movement of the permanent magnet may be controllably adjusted to exactly equal the force causing the movement of the movable member to thereby prevent the acceleration of the permanent magnet and thus of the movable member or may be adjusted to be slightly greater than the force causing the movement of the movable member to thereby decelerate the permanent magnet and thus the movable member.

United States Patent 1191 Patzke et al.

[ Mar. 11, 1975 BRAKE ASSEMBLY [75] Inventors: Robert C. Patzke, Prospect Heights,

111.; Joseph Goebel, Hague, Netherlands [73] Assignee: Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio 22 Filed: Aug. 16, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 388,963

[52] US. CL. 335/296, 188/158, 355/3 R [51] llnt. Cl. 1101f 7/00 [58] Field of Search 335/296, 302, 306; 188/158, 161

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,507,573 5/1950 Oetzer 335/296 3,416,749 12/1968 ONeill 4. 188/161 X 3,734.256 5/1973 Compton et al. 188/161 X Primary ExaminerG. Harris Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Mason, Kolehmainen, Rathburn & Wyss [57] ABSTRACT A brake device for controlling the movement of a member movable along a first path of travel includes a movable permanent magnet engageable by a portion of the movable member for moving the permanent magnet along a second path of travel substantially par allel to the first path of travel. The device further includes magnetically responsive guiding means for restricting the movement of the permanent magnet to movement along a second path of travel. The guiding means may be an U-shaped or an L-shaped elongated channel magnetically responsive to or attracted by the permanent magnet to thereby provide a force in oppo sition to the movement of the magnetic means. The permanent magnet preferably includes an elongated slot or recess for receiving the engageable portion of the movable member. The elongated slot or recess includes two shoulder portions disposed at the opposite longitudinal ends of the recess and engageable by the portion of the member for moving the permanent member along the second path of travel. The force in opposition to the movement of the permanent magnet may be controllably adjusted to exactly equal the force causing the movement of the movable member to thereby prevent the acceleration of the permanent magnet and thus of the movable member or may be adjusted to be slightly greater than the force causing the movement of the movable member to thereby decelerate the permanent magnet and thus the movable member.

12 Claims, 43 Drawing Figures PATENTEUHART I 1 5 SHEET UlUF 25 PATENTED MRI 1 I975 3.870.981 SHEET 02 0F 25 Al 2 A3 A4 A5 ASA? IA2345678A9 llA 3A45 GA? 8 9 PATENTEDHARHIBTS 3.870.981 SHEET. C30F 25 PATENTEDHARHIBYS 3.870.981

sum (mm 25 PATENTED HAR l 1 I975 SHEET 08 0F 25 K dd} F'ATENTED HARI 1 i975 SHEET U70F 25 PATENTED T1975 3. 870.981

SHEET USUF 25 PATENTED NARI 1 I975 SHEET IOUF 25 PATENTED MARI H975 SHEET llUF 25 VIEWING LAMP COUNTER l COUNTER 2 [18515155 PRE-EXPOSURE PATENTEIJM R 11 ms 3 870 981 sum mar 25 FIG. 29

E E W KID K/C K/B K/A PATENTEU MAR l 1 I975 SHEET lSUF 25 mom 

1. A device for controlling the movement of a member movable along a first path of travel comprising a movable magnetic means engageable by a first portion of said member, said magnetic means being movable by said first portion along a second path of travel substantially parallel to said first path of travel and means for guiding said magnetic means to restrict the movement of said magnetic means to movement along said second path of travel, said guiding means being magnetically responsive to said magnetic means to thereby provide a force in opposition to the movement of aaid magnetic means.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said movable magnetic means comprises a permanent magnet.
 3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said movable magnetic means includes an elongated means for receiving said first portion, the longitudinal ends of said receiving means being defined by two oppositely disposed shoulder portions.
 4. A device as defined in claim 3 wherein said shoulder portions are spaced apart to provide a predetermined clearance between said first portion and one at least of said shoulder portions.
 5. A device as defined in claim 4 wherein said shoulder portions are alternately engageable by said first portion to cause the movement of said magnetic means along said second path of travel.
 6. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein the velocity of said movement of said magnetic means is at least partially determined by said predetermined clearance.
 7. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said guiding means comprises means for physically confining said magnetic means.
 8. A device as defined in claim 7 wherein said physically confining means comprises an elongated, U-shaped, magnetically attracted channel.
 9. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said guiding means comprises an elongated, L-shaped, magnetically attracted channel.
 10. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said velocity of said magnetic means is maintained constant along at least a substantial portion of said second path of travel.
 11. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said velocity of said magnetic means is an initial velocity and wherein said force in opposition is a decelerating force to reduce said velocity of said magnetiC means at one longitudinal end portion of said second path of travel from said initial velocity to a terminal velocity at one longitudinal end portion of said second path of travel, said terminal velocity having a magnitude substantially less than the magnitude of said initial velocity. 